Scorched Earth: Avatar Aang Rises
by Abendor
Summary: It has been over 100 years since the beginning of the Great War between Sozin and the 48th Earth King. 100 years since the annihilation of the airbenders. Now as the Earthbenders near victory in their war, can the last survivor of an extinct race return to restore balance to a mad world? Updated weekly. Reviews of all lengths and opinions appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**Brief Author's note:**

** I promise this is the first and only time I'll use that lengthy intro or any real intro at all, I just needed to establish the basis for this AU. For conciseness' sake I'll keep this mostly in just the hunter's (canonically played by Zuko but someone else here) POV for this chapter. I'm taking a departure from my usual fare of crack fics/pointlessly stupid parodies to explore a (somewhat) more serious idea: what if metal bending was discovered early, launching Ba Sing Se into an industrial revolution and causing them to be the dominant force of the 100 years war? This alternative history commentary will explore how this changes everything. Also, I'm arbitrarily bumping Toph to 14 years old, just think of it as part of the cosmic shift. Note that I'm mostly going to skip Aang's POV in this chapter because it's more or less identical to canon.**

**Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profits off of this**

**Chapter 1: The Boy in the Iceburg/ The Avatar Returns**

**Water, Earth, Fire, Air.**

** My Grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom forces plunged the world into total war. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the feuding metalbenders and firebenders, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. 100 years have passed and the Earth Kingdom is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed the Fire Nation, the lesser of two evils, to fight the metalbenders, leaving me and my brother to look after my tribe.** **Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken. But I haven't lost hope, I believe that somehow the Avatar will return and save the world.**

A beam of incomprehensively bright light shot up and lit the dreary grey skies with a brilliant pure white hue. A soldier in metal armor dashed to a teenage girl wearing a thick metal tunic standing at the Captain's helm.

"Captain, did you see that?" the soldier asked.

"Do I look like I saw that you moron?" the girl replied, pointing at her own milky white eyes.

"Forgive me Captain Toph. There was a massive beam of light that shot into the sky with more intensity than a thousand suns!"

"A beam of light? It could be... hmm, it's not like I have any leads right now. Lieutenant, set the course for the light. There's no escaping this time...

"Escaping what?" an elderly man snorted as he stomped out of the cabin. "Ooh, a light show! I'd always wanted to see the Southern Lights!"

"Master Bumi!" Toph exclaimed in frustration "Do you not understand what that light means? It means The Avatar's returned. And I'll be able to use him to clear my family name."

"Now be careful young one. The Avatar is said to be the most powerful bender in the world, you wouldn't want to fall into the same mistakes as your parents would you?"

"Then stop lounging around and help me train for this encounter. I'll need more than untested metalbending if I'm going to defeat The Avatar."

"Oh very well. But after I have my nap. The frosty weather isn't doing my old bones any favors," Bumi yawned before slipping back into the cabin.

* * *

Toph positioned herself carefully in the center of her four sparring partners. She adjusted the thick metal boots fastened to her feet out of necessity in the cold and stomped down to get a better view. She lowered her stance and swung her arms and feet in four separate directions, launching a hailstorm of sharpened metal bullets flying from her arm and leg guards.

"Hmm, almost perfect. Just a little shrew mouse hair's off," Bumi snorted as he bit into a slab of jennamite.

"Then I guess we're not finished," Toph growled as she extended her arms, pulling the metal darts back to their sockets, nearly impaling at least two of her men.

* * *

The bald boy darted cautiously through the ruined husk of the Earth Kingdom barge, followed by an apprehensive looking girl.

"Aang, I really think we should be going back now!" she cried out.

"Come on Katara. We've only just seen the first level!" Aang retorted. He rounded the corner and stumbled onto the armory. He gaped in confusion at the small mountain of steel spikes, swords, and a bright green Earth Kingdom emblem.

"This ship has haunted our tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Earth Kingdom's first raids."

"Whoa, back up. I have friends all over the world, even the Earth Kingdom. I've never seen a war."

"Aang, how long do you think you were in that iceberg?"

"I don't know, a couple days maybe?"

"I think it's more like a hundred years. Think about it, the war is a hundred years old, you've missed it because somehow, you were stuck in that ice the entire time." Aang let a startled gasp escape his lips as he stumbled to the ground. "Come on, let's get back." Aang nodded as he took Katara's outstretched hand and stumbled into a nearby weapon rack. The entire rack fell to the ground, rattling loudly and tripping an imperceptibly thin string. The string pulled a series of pulleys and levers until a massive flare shot out of the ship's chimney, unnerving the two children.

* * *

The solid metal ship plowed quickly through the makeshift 'wall' marking the Southern Water tribe village. Sokka faced off anxiously against its broad metallic hull as it tore through all of his snow structures with ease. He could hear Katara's pleas to get out of the way and was forced to acquiesce as the ship's massive metal doors burst open, blasting him with soot and sand. A pair of burly earthbenders erupted and shot their arms out, covering the entire ground of the village in a copious layer of rock before solidifying it, cutting the tribe off from water.

"Just like the previous raids..." Sokka mumbled. The earthbenders stood regally with arms in defensive stances as a second party emerged from the ship's pitch black interior. Four more muscled metalbenders encased in a form fitting suit of steel and a slightly shorter teenage girl in similar garb marched towards the hapless village. Sokka drew his machete and charged at the girl, determining her to be the ringleader. She effortlessly slammed the weapon out of his range before lifting him by the neck and throwing him aside. She stood in front of the villagers and stomped her foot, keeping her eyes concealed by her thick, jet black bangs.

"Where is he?" she growled. She thrust a metal glove out and bent it around Gran Gran's neck and pulled her in. "He'll be about this age and master of all elements!" When she was greeted by silence the glove threw Kanna mercilessly forward, only being caught by a frightened Katara. "Don't even think about lying to me, I can root one out faster than a lightening bolt." Sokka let out a battle cry and charged at Toph from behind with a spear. She reached backwards, shooting a metal glove at his neck and grabbing it before he could get closer. She bent the glove up and out, knocking Sokka even further away and dazing him.

Aang zipped toward the village and straight into the teenage earthbender, knocking her flat on her back as he gracefully landed with airbending.

"Looking for me?" he asked.

"You're the airbender? You're The Avatar?" Toph exclaimed incredulously.

"Yea," he replied remorsefully. Toph smirked as she sensed his sincerity and lobbed a volley of metal bullets in his direction. He easily dodged with the grace only an airbender could.

"I've spent all my life preparing for a battle like this. Beating countless sparring partners senseless. You're just a child!"

"Well you're just a teenager," Aang retorted. Toph scowled and roundhouse kicked the air, shooting a much wider volley of bullets which Aang barely dodged. He heard the terrified screams of the villagers and noted the rock beneath him snuffing out their much needed campfires. "If I go with you, will you leave the people alone and let these people light their fires?" Toph nodded in consent. Her escorts quickly bound their new prisoner in rock cuffs and hoisted him up.

"Aang you don't have to do this!" Katara's voice cried out.

"It'll be okay. Take care of Appa for me while I'm gone!" he yelled back. Katara lowered her head to hide her incoming tears as the earthbenders withdrew the earthen floor on the village, reverting it back to snow.

"Helmsman, set a course for Ba Sing Se, I'm headed home!" Toph yelled as she boarded the ship. Aang gave Katara as reassuring a smile as he could but found it faltering as the heavy metal doors clanged shut.

The earthbenders threw Aang into a solid metal cell and unbound his earth cuffs before sealing the hole into a solid wall with metalbending. Aang pounded on the door repeatedly with his fists in desperation. He was about to punch the walls again for the umpteenth time when the wall abruptly opened and his fists were gripped tightly by an old but firm hand, lifting him up several feet.

* * *

"So... this is the great avatar my adopted granddaughter's been harping about the whole time," the old man exclaimed.

"Let me... go! I need to get out of here!" The old man simply cackled and snorted in amusement as he bit into what looked like a very hard green crystal.

"Poor choice of words laddy." Bumi released his grip, causing Aang to fall flat on his bum. "So, what is this strange contraption of yours? My granddaughter gave it to me but didn't bother to explain, how rude of her," he said as he held up his glider. Bumi set the long object against the wall and raised his arms up to stretch. Aang took his chance and blew him down with airbending before snatching his glider and making a run for it. "See you again old friend!" Bumi snorted as he gazed out at the fleeing boy. Aang dodged guards left and right as he made his way out to the deck and opened his glider. He was about to throw himself into the air when he felt a steel glove clamp around his right ankle. Aang groaned and strained but felt himself be dragged all the way down to the deck. The glove detached from his leg as he stumbled upright.

"You'll have to try harder than that boy!" Toph roared as she shot her second glove at him. Aang sidestepped the projectile easily but found himself treading further and further towards the edge.

"Appa!" he yelled as he saw Sokka and Katara guide his companion onto the deck, fighting off earthbender reinforcements. Toph jumped into the air and slammed her foot into the deck, sending a wave of metal hurtling into Aang and tossing him overboard.

"Aang, no!" Katara yelled. Aang's body fell deeper into the cold water for several seconds before his eyes launched open, glowing in pure white along with his arrow tattoos. He launched himself up onto a tall water column and used his immense power to topple all the earthbenders on deck overboard with a single whip.

"Now that's some waterbending..." Sokka said distantly.

"Come on! Let's get outta here!" Aang yelled as he leapt on Appa's head. The bison took off right as Bumi sauntered over and heard Toph's terrified screams for help. He quickly went to the edge of the ship and rescued her from the ocean before bending a bundle of metal chains to pull up the rest of her crew.

"Pull out the turret and aim for the bison, I know he's not on the ship," she ordered. The crew obeyed and bent the floor of the deck, pulling up a long steel tube with a conical shaped projectile lodged at the back. A pair of earthbenders bent the tube in the direction of the fleeing bison and thrust their arms out, shooting the bullet out.

"Incoming!" Sokka yelled in panic as the bullet lobbed towards them. Aang leapt off his seat on Appa's head and swung his glider with a grunt, deflecting the bullet with a powerful gust of wind, sending it hurtling into the nearest glacier and burying Toph's ship in ice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Southern Air Temple**

**Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The cracked and ruffled metal vessel heaved and creaked slowly into the port before its dilapidated door flopped open. Toph stomped irritably down the ramp, creating small shockwaves with every step as Bumi wandered behind her, munching happily on more rock candy.

"We need to make the repairs quickly. We can't let anyone know about him or else every earthbender in the entire kingdom will be crowding over to try and capture him," she growled.

"You mean the Avatar?" Bumi offered.

"Shh! Don't mention him on these docks. I don't need anyone getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of what milady?" a haughty voice interrupted.

"Captain Fong," Toph growled.

"It's Commander now. Of course a member of the _esteemed _Beifong family is welcome in my port anytime," he sneered half sarcastically. He looked at the crumpled mess of Toph's ship and raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a bit of damage you've taken there. May I ask what sort of battle lead to enough damage that your own metalbenders could not repair your ship."

"We had a run in with a Fire Navy patrol," Toph mumbled without skipping a beat.

"Really? I find it hard to believe that any self respecting soldier of the Earth Kingdom would allow themselves to get anywhere near the Fire Navy, especially so soon after the devastating battle for the Gates of Azulon."

"It was a nautical miscalculation and we were lucky to escape. Now I need these repairs done quickly and don't have time for idle chit chat."

"Oh the damage is quite extensive, I'm afraid you'll be stuck on this dock for quite some time. Would you and your master care for a drink with me in the meantime?"

"Of course!" Bumi interrupted. Fong smirked triumphantly before marching away smugly.

* * *

"There it is! The Southern Air Temple!" Aang exclaimed as the majestic structure came into view. In spite of Katara's uneasiness she couldn't help but marvel at the size and scope of the former Air Nomad temple and let an excited smile cross her face. Appa landed gently at the base of the temple and his riders began to climb to the top.

"Say where can you find some food? I'm getting really hungry," Sokka moaned.

"You are one of the first outsiders ever to see an actual Air Temple and all you can think about is food?" Katara sighed.

"What? I'm a simple man with simple needs." The trio climbed a set of stairs and came across a massive entrance door with a statue of an airbending monk.

"Who's that?" Katara asked.

"This is Monk Gyatso, the greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything he knows," Aang said as he gazed reverently at the statue. He stared for several seconds before bowing to it as if meeting him in person. "Something's wrong. This place used to be so full of monks and bisons. Now it's just weeds..."

"Aang, I know it's hard to accept but maybe your people..."

"Come on! This temple is huge, there's so much I have to show you guys." Sokka and Katara exchanged nervous glances before following their friend.

* * *

"With the water tribes subjugated and the consolidation of the Earth Kingdom mainland, the Fire Nation will be surrounded by enemies with nowhere to run. Once the land bridge project is complete, our armies will storm their islands and the Earth King will reign supreme," Fong beamed.

"If you think the rest of the world is that easy to subjugate, then you are clearly a naive fool," Toph spat.

"Two years at sea have done little to temper that tongue I see. And for what? It's not like you, say, actually found the Avatar am I right?"

"No, I still haven't found a trace of him."

"Of course not, the Avatar died a hundred years ago. Nobody has seen him since, what would make you so special?" Toph frowned slightly as she noted a slight irregularity in Fong's heartbeat but held her tongue. "Unless... you actually by dumb luck found something on the contrary..."

"I told you, I haven't."

"Lady Beifong, the Avatar is the single greatest threat to the Earth Kingdom and the only one capable of stopping this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty to your kingdom, you will tell me what you've found." Toph remained silent and closed her eyes, though it was a pointless gesture.

"Sir! We've interrogated the crew as you've asked. They confirmed your suspicions about the Avatar," an incoming soldier said, bringing a triumphant smirk to Fong's face.

"So tell me Lady Beifong, how did your ship get damaged again?"

* * *

Aang sprinted eagerly to the final tier of the temple and gazed at the deserted fields and slumped slightly.

"Is everything okay?" Katara panted as she ran to catch up with him.

"I guess, it's just that it's kind of jarring seeing this place so empty. Look, over there me and my friends would play airball. I can't even remember when that field was ever empty, except possibly when we were all asleep!" Aang said in an upbeat tone, though his face drooped slightly. Sokka noted his slight depression and, against his obviously better judgment, spoke up.

"Hey, so how do you play this airball game again?" he asked.

Sokka and the ball thudded through the goalpost for the umpteenth time as Aang cheerfully bounced on the poles making up the field.

"Aang 7, Sokka 0!" he cried as he bounced down.

"Keeping him happy is putting me in pain," he moaned as he stood up. He walked towards his sister and noted a mangled Fire Nation helmet in the snow. "Oh no," he whispered. "Katara, we can't hide this from him forever. Firebenders were here, and if they did then..."

"I know," Katara replied. "I didn't want to yet but.. Hey Aang! I have to show you something!"

"Okay!" Aang bounced towards the Water siblings with the widest grin on his face, wavering Katara's resolve and causing her to waterbend snow on top of the helmet... and Sokka. "What is it?"

"I was just showing you a new waterbending move I figured out," she lied.

"Oh, that's nice. But there's something else I'd been meaning to show you guys." Aang grinned and sped off on an airscooter, beckoning her to follow. She pulled her brother out of the snow and walked towards him.

"You can't hide it from him forever you know," Sokka warned.

"Maybe, but I have to try for his sake," Katara countered. She and Sokka came upon a massive wooden door with an ornate pipe structure locking it.

"This is the air sanctuary, where they said I'll meet someone who can help me with my Avatar training."

"Aang, there's no way someone could have survived in there for a hundred years..." Katara said warily.

"I managed," Aang countered.

"Good point."

"Maybe they'll have some cured meats..." Sokka interjected as he licked his lips and charged into the door. He flailed haplessly against its massive frame before collapsing in defeat. "You got a key for this or something?"

"The key is airbending," Aang replied as he brought his hands together and sent to gusts of wind into the pipes, unlocking the massive doors.

"Aw, no meat?" Sokka moaned as they stepped into a room full of stone statues.

* * *

"So a 12 year old boy bested you and your crew and left your ship in tatters? No wonder your parents were ashamed to publicly acknowledge your existence," Fong smirked.

"I underestimated the boy once. I promise it won't happen again."

"Of course not, you won't have the chance. Guards, keep the lady and her master here. Once my search party has departed you will be free to leave."

"Why? Afraid I'll find and beat him before you?"

"You? Please, why would I possibly be scared of you? I have hundreds of tanks and ships at my command and you? You're just an heiress to a disgraced family. If the Earth King thought your family was worth anything he would have returned your family's prestige, Avatar or no. And that's not even counting your... obvious disability." Toph's eyes widened in anger and she stomped upright, easily chucking her two guards off of her and sending them to the ground.

"Fine, you think I'm so weak, why don't you fight me yourself?"

"Please, I have better things to do than duel a poorly mannered blind girl."

"Oh, is it because you're scared of getting whooped by said blind girl in an Earth duel?" It was Fong's turn to glower with rage.

"Fine, you want a duel? You have it. Meet me at the ring at sundown, and we'll end it quickly." Fong stomped out of the tent.

"Now Toph, are you sure you want to jump into this? You know Fong has a history of fighting dirty and having his men sneak in blows," Bumi advised between sips of tea and bites of rock candy.

"I don't care, I'm the greatest earthbender in the world, I can take this whole base if I have to."

* * *

Aang gazed mystically at the statue of Avatar Roku, oblivious to Katara's proddings until she physically shook him.

"Who's that?" she inquired.

"Oh, that's Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me," he replied curtly.

"You were a firebender before? No wonder I didn't trust you," Sokka commented.

"What's wrong with firebenders?"

"I... oh nothing." An elongated shadow suddenly filled the scantily lit room, causing all three kids to hide behind the tall statues.

"Metalbender..." Sokka whispered. "That sucker won't know what hit him." He pulled out his machete and lunged out, only to encounter a less than threatening flying lemur.

"Lemur!" Aang shouted.

"Dinner..." Sokka moaned. The two boys sprinted after the spooked creature, tripping each other manically until Aang sped off with airbending. Sokka moaned in protest and ran to the end of a ledge, watching Aang glide down with ease with his bending. Sokka rolled up his sleeves and slowly climbed down the walls. He sped off towards Aang's trail and found him slumped down sobbing. "Aang, I wasn't actually going to eat the lemur..." Sokka trailed off as he saw what Aang saw: a mound of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation remains stacked high around a single skeleton of an airbending monk. "Oh no, Aang..." before he could finish his sentence, the airbender's tattoos glowed white with rage and sent him flying backwards.

"What happened?!" Katara yelled.

"Aang found Monk Gyatso's skeleton surrounded by earth and firebender remains and now he's gone beserk!"

* * *

Toph knelt and breathed softly to collect her thoughts as she prepared for the earth duel.

"Now remember neutral jing. Sometimes aggression is not always the right form," Bumi advised.

"I can handle one boneheaded Commander," Toph sighed as she stood up, throwing off her robe to strip down to her under wrappings and a pair of shorts, revealing a slender yet muscled upper body.

"This will be over soon, such a shame your parents won't be here to see," Fong commented as he threw off his own drape, revealing his uncovered upper body. Toph roared in rage and flung two massive boulders at her enemy. Fong smashed the boulders handily with his fists and Toph threw a secondary attack. Before she could release, a ground tremor threw her aim off and the boulders flew well out of Fong's path. "So this is the self declared greatest earthbender in the world? I would hope not, our Kingdom would be in a sad state of affairs if all our soldiers were this weak." Fong leaped into the air and sent and earthwave towards the teen. Toph stood firm to intercept when a shifting of the earth beneath her feet blurred her 'vision', disorienting her and allowing the wave to throw her back like a ragdoll.

"Remember to listen and wait for the earth!" Bumi advised. Toph was flush with indignation at the blatant cheating and thrashed towards Fong, who handily pounded his way towards the girl with his unseen helpers and threw her to the ground with a final kick. He raised a boulder with his fists and aimed it at Toph, barely missing as she rolled away and jumped back onto her feet. The vibrations from the jump gave her a clear view of the twelve earthbenders burrowed underground helping Fong to fight dirty and smirked. Fong tried to recover but Toph quickly redirected his attack. The burrowed earthbenders shot shockwaves towards the girl but this time she was ready, she thrust her arms forward and placed them in a praying mantis form, redirecting the shockwaves towards Fong and breaking his root. The hidden earthbenders sent a stronger jolt but Toph simply redirected them again, nearly tripping her enemy. Fong jumped back and landed squarely on his feet, exactly as Toph predicted. Before he had a chance to react, the earth itself slid out from under his feet and Fong found himself sprawled flat on his back with an indignant blind girl's foot planted firmly on his chest.

"Do it," he growled. Toph growled in anger and slammed a column of rock the width of Fong's head inches away from his. "That's it? You seem to have inherited your father's cowardice."

"Next time you get in my way, I won't hold back," she growled before turning around and stomping away. Fong scowled and leaped into the air, intent on destroying the petulant girl. He found his feet sinking into quicksand the second he landed before it solidified around him. Toph turned around and realized his intentions and lunged towards him before being stopped by Bumi.

"Toph, do not taint your victory like this, you're better than this man." he turned to Fong. "And you, even fallen from grace, the Beifong line still seems to have more honor than you. Also, your rock candy was absolutely delicious, I hope you don't mind if I pocketed some." He raised his arms and threw Fong back with earthbending before turning around to join Toph.

"Did you... really mean that?" Toph asked, a smile forming on her lips as she already knew the answer.

"Of course, you know I'm a sucker for good jenamite," Bumi cackled.

* * *

"Aang! I know that you're people are gone and you feel like you have no family, but that's not true! You still have a family Aang!" Katara pleaded over the wind. "Sokka and I, we're your family!" The winds slowly subsided and fell, allowing Katara to run up and embrace the young airbender. Her warm embrace was the final touch that pulled Aang out of the Avatar State. Sokka peered from his cover and joined them once the winds died down.

"Katara and I won't let anything happen to you, promise," he reassured him.

"Ugh, I really am the last airbender," Aang moaned as he roused from his daze. "What... what happened here? I thought it was only supposed to be earthbenders that were bad." Katara and Sokka exchanged nervous glances before Katara sat Aang down by a remaining wall and knelt in front of him.

"It's time we told you what really happened while you were gone. You're The Avatar, and you need to know," she said, glaring daggers at Sokka who backed away and shrugged. "When the war first began, it wasn't just the Earth Kingdom that was interested in conquering the world, the Fire Nation wanted it too. Well, Earth Kingdoms plural, there wasn't any unified government in the Earth Kingdom before the war."

"Yea, I know that much," Aang sighed.

"Anyways, when Fire Lord Sozin made plans to conquer the world, he knew there was no way he could win against all three other nations, especially the industrious metalbenders of the Earth Kingdoms, so he made a deal with the largest one: Ba Sing Se. They joined together to attack the Air Nomads because that's where the next Avatar would be and they both wanted him gone..."

"They did it because of me..." Aang gasped with guilt. Katara nodded softly.

"After they finished destroying the Air Nomads they started disagreeing about how much territory each of them would hold and eventually went to war with each other. Ba Sing Se eventually came out on top and forced the Fire Nation into retreat. Then they began raiding the South Pole." Aang slumped his head and shame and sighed, turning away from Katara. "Aang, I know what I told you feels horrifying to listen to, but you shouldn't beat yourself up for this. As Gran Gran used to say, we can't concern ourselves with what was and can only concern ourselves with what is." Aang perked up at Katara's encouragement and managed to pull a weak smile.

"Thanks Katara."

* * *

"Alright I've got everything packed!" Katara yelled. Aang's gaze remained fixated on the temple. "You alright?"

"Huh? Oh, just fine." Right then, the flying lemur flew into view carrying an armful of fresh fruit and set it in front of a disgruntled Sokka, who immediately beamed into a smile.

"Food!" he exclaimed as he munched on his newfound quarry.

"Hey little guy!" Aang exclaimed as the lemur perched on his shoulder. The children mounted Appa and looked over the empty structure. "We're the last that's left of this place. Just you, me, and Appa!" The bison roared as if to agree. "Come on, let's go. Yip yip!" Appa swung his tail and thrust himself and his passengers into the air and the temple quickly shrank out of view.

**Next week... Our heroes finally land on the Fire Nation mainland on their journey to the North Pole. But when what starts as an innocent waste of time turns to chaos, they are apprehended and placed before a rather... psychotic princess**

**(Not so) Brief Author's note:**

** Well there you had it, my second chapter. As I tried to demonstrate, the main caveat about the Earth Kingdom's industrial revolution is they are extremely reliant on their bending to the point that it'd pretty much be impossible to man their ships without a majority crew of metalbenders. Also, I'll clarify something, the Fire Nation in this AU was still ruled by that douchebag Sozin and his Comet still came and allowed him to kill lots of people. My take on this is that it never really made much sense to me how the Fire Nation all by itself managed to nearly take over the whole world with no outside help whatsoever outside of one measly 24 hour comet. By arbitrarily deciding (though it's arguable canon does this to) that the 'Earth Kingdom' was never a unified entity like the Fire Nation so much as it's just a collection of separate kingdoms like Omashu and Ba Sing Se, I can basically make a case for the Fire Nation initially making alliances to get a step up over the rest of the world, only to try and betray them later.**

**Also (sorry! feel free to skip my rambles), I know my Toph feels an awful lot like just a reskin of Season 1 Zuko but the more I think of it, the more I see that their personalities and background are really similar. They're both talented benders trying to prove themselves to their less than understanding parents, they both have a tendency to get verbally belligerent when pressed, and both were born into absurdly wealthy families with no real friends to speak of until they join Aang so... yea YMMV but that's my take on the matter, feel free to debate with me on that in the reviews or via PM as long as it remains constructive. As always, please review, I don't care if it's to just tell me how awesome (or hideous depending on your opinion) it is, I like knowing what my viewership thinks of my work.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Fire Princess**

"There it is, the Fire Nation port city of Chu Ling!" Aang declared as he pointed to a massive cluster of buildings and docks.

"Wow, we don't have cities like this in the South pole..." Katara exclaimed.

"They have buildings that don't melt..." Sokka said incredulously.

"Well come on guys, the real fun is inside the city!" Aang exclaimed as he leaped down the hill to the city.

"Wait, Aang, it might be dangerous if people found out you were The Avatar. You need a disguise..." Katara said.

"So what am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?" Aang scratched at his white wig and mustache incessantly while adjusting his false hair. "Ugh, this stuff is so itchy, how do you live in this stuff?" Aang exclaimed to Appa. The bison looked the boy straight in the eyes and snorted loudly as if to protest.

"Great, now you look just like my grandfather," Sokka deadpanned.

"Well Aang is technically 112 years old," Katara retorted.

"Come on young whipper snappers, we have a city to explore!" Aang yelled in his best old man voice. The trio made it to the city gates apprehensively. "Wait, what about you guys? Are you sure you can get into a Fire Nation port city without being spotted?"

"Relax Aang, the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes have been allies for over 20 years, we'll be fine," Katara reassured him. The boy turned old man nodded and guided them to a set of solid metal gates.

"Oh, in that case you should have nothing to worry about. Chu Ling has some of the nicest, friendliest people around."

"Rotten cabbages? What kind of uncivilized slum do you think Chu Ling is?" a masked Fire bending guard yelled at a diminutive cabbage merchant. He punched the air in front of him, sending a large plume of fire straight into the hapless merchant's cart.

"My cabbages!"

"Just keep smiling," Aang whispered as he approached. One of the guards marched up to Aang and hunched over to look at him with a fireball in his right hand.

"State your business," he ordered.

"My business is my business young man and none of yours! I have a mind to bend you over backwards and give you a good paddling!" Aang yelled in his old voice, ignoring Katara and Sokka's gazes of pure horror.

"Settle down old timer. Just tell me who you are."

"Name's Bonzu Pippinpaddlopsocopolis the Third! And these are my grandchildren."

"Hi, June Pippinpaddlopsocopolis. Nice to meet you," Katara added. The guard straightened out and gazed at the two before nodding.

"You look like a responsible young lady, see that your grandfather stays out of trouble," he ordered. "Enjoy Chu Ling." The guard shot a flare from his hands into the air, signalling the gate workers. The metal gates groaned as the workers pulled their levers, opening to the main city. The trio made their way in towards the city. "Wait a minute..." The guard grabbed Sokka's shoulder and turned to face the group. "You look like a strong young man, show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather's bag!"

"Good idea!" Aang cried out as he tossed his satchel into Sokka's arms. The trio gaped in awe at the bustling city as merchants and nobles milled through the cobblestone streets at a brisk pace. Aang's gaze almost immediately fell upon a cart full of paper wrapped cartridges. "Look over there!"

"Great, a merchant stand with some shady looking boxes," Sokka deadpanned.

"Those boxes are fireworks, and a really good time if you know how to use them," Aang smirked.

"Uh Aang I'm not sure if we should be messing around with explosives and even so, we don't have money to spare," Katara said.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this." Aang sauntered to the firework vendor with his best old man impression. He made a show of his hobbling before simply reaching into the cart and snatching an armful of boxes while the merchant passively looked on.

"Uh... what just happened?"

"Don't you know? It's harvest week, all merchants give out free fireworks for the harvest festival."

"Hmm, well that was easy."

"Now let's go! These fireworks aren't going to light themselves." Aang sprinted gleefully through the city to the nearest open space. He tore the bags open revealing a hefty tube filled with a dark, coal like powder and a pair of hand sized rocks. "Spark rocks, for us nonbenders."

"Well technically you're a firebender, and an airbender, and a waterbender, and an earthbender," Sokka added snarkily.

"Well I'm not trained and I don't want to accidentally set this whole pile on fire."

"Good point."

* * *

"You had to light the whole pile on fire didn't you?" Sokka grumbled as the guards shuffled them all in front of a large throne.

"It wasn't my fault the paper was flammable, I distinctly remember the paper being flame resistant the last time I did it," Aang protested.

"Aang, you haven't technically been alive for the past 100 years, things change." The guards escorting them bowed as an acute faced young woman in a crimson robe with bold red lips and a three prong flame hairpiece marched into the room and sat in her throne.

"Your majesty, these three delinquents have been charged with destruction of property, misuse of fireworks, and malicious destruction of cabbages."

"Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!" a familiar merchant cried out.

"Silence! Only Princess Azula herself can pass judgment." The princess gazed intently at each of the three for several seconds. Sokka tried his best attempt at a womanizer face, Katara tried her best innocent smile, and Aang pretended to be indifferent.

"Drag them..." the three kids looked up nervously. "to my dining chambers, I wish to speak with them in private." The cabbage merchant guffawed in defeat while the confused guards nodded fearfully in obedience and carried their prisoners away.

* * *

"Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, niece to the Firelord and sister to the Crown Prince. I don't think I got any of your names."

"Uh... Bonzu Pippinpaddlopsocoplis, and these are my two traveling companions!" Aang grinned sheepishly, prompting a bemused look from the Princess.

"Charmed. Feel free to ask the servants for whatever you want, that's what they're there for," Azula said. "Tell me." she looked at Aang. "Where did you say you were from?"

"Uh Kangaroo Island." Azula frowned slightly.

"You're wasting your time and mine, just tell me where you really come from," she said blankly.

"Uh..."

"Well, let's skip the formalities Avatar, I really have a tight schedule today."

"Huh? Who told you I'm The Avatar?!"

"You did, just now. Your arrows and robes certainly weren't doing you any favors either." Aang groaned in defeat.

"Okay, you got me. I'm The Avatar," Aang muttered nervously. "Keeping the world balanced and safe for everyone." He ducked under the table. "Nope, no metalbenders here. I think our job here is done, now if you'll just..." The guards seized him and his friends.

"What shall we do with them Princess?"

"Tomorrow I'll have The Avatar perform a series of tasks to pay for all the property destruction, but for now, show them to their chambers."

"The good chambers or the bad chambers?"

"The ones reserved for nobility, we should show some propriety to The Avatar after all." The guards nodded as they dragged the trio away from the table.

* * *

"This is a prison? But it's so nice in here," Katara commented.

"Yea well it is, and we're prisoners," Sokka muttered. "How are we gonna get out of here?"

"The air vents!" Aang shouted.

"Aang, if you think we can fit through those vents then we're in bigger trouble than I think."

"We can't... but Momo can! Momo, come on boy get Appa." Aang tried desperately to stuff the hapless lemur through the air vent but was forced to withdraw.

"Eh, how's Appa supposed to help?" Sokka muttered.

"Appa's a ten ton bison, I'm sure he could have thought of something... I wonder if..." Aang peered into the air vent and blasted a wave of wind in. "Well it was worth a shot..."

* * *

Aang groaned as the metal door to his cell creaked and opened.

"Huh? Sokka? Katara? Where are my friends?!" he cried out.

"The Princess will return your friends after you complete your tasks."

"And if I don't?"

"She didn't say." The guard's skull plate helmet prevented Aang from deciphering his expression as he held out a hand. "Your staff." Aang grumbled and tossed it to the guard before being lead out. He was forced onto his knees in the throne room as an entourage of Imperial Firebenders escorted Azula into the room, adorned with a red silk dress.

"Sokka! Katara!" he cried out, his gaze falling on his two companions restrained to the side.

"Alright Avatar Aang, tell me what you think of my outfit," Azula ordered.

"I think it's hot," Sokka blurted. Azula glared daggers at the boy but relaxed her features instantaneously. "You know, cause it's Fire Nation and it's all... firey? Yea I know it's a bad joke."

"Um... it's fine I guess," Aang said.

"Excellent, you've completed your first task," Azula declared.

"Really? That's all there is to it?"

"No, I just enjoy giving people a false sense of hope before smashing it like a sinking Empire Class Battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea!" Aang, Katara, and Sokka all gazed fearfully at the half mad princess. "Follow me." Azula walked out of the throne room and had her guards escort her prisoners after her. The entourage arrived to a massive waterfall just outside the city limits. "It seems I've misplaced my favorite hairpin and I want to go to a party. Would you mind fetching it for me?" Aang gazed up at the raging water and launched himself upward with airbending. "Head on collision huh? Really I never would have thought of that," Azula mocked. Aang predictably fell clumsily out of the waterfall and padded his fall to the jagged rocks at the last second with airbending.

"Come on Aang! You can do it!" Katara yelled out in encouragement. Aang huffed and created an air column beneath his feet, elevating him several feet above the hairpin's ledge and diving in from above. He narrowly grazed the rock with his hand before the force of the water forced him back down.

"Yes, keep jumping into the waterfall head on. I'm sure it will work eventually," Azula sighed. Aang scratched his head and gazed at the waterfall and scratched his head. His face lit up with inspiration as he mounted an air scooter and used it to scale the cliff near the falls. He faced the waterfall at the right level and aimed an air blade straight through the water, knocking the hairpin off the ledge and at Azula's feet.

"There! Enjoy your stupid party, now let my friends go!" Aang cried.

"Hmm, no thanks. On to the next task." Aang grumbled as Azula left, leading his bound friends away with her.

* * *

"Your final task will be a duel. And as a rare indulgence, I will even allow you to choose your own opponent," Azula explained as Aang was lead into an arena. A muscular man with a cleaver the length of a tall man stomped to the princess's right while a scarred man wielding a set of large maces stomped to her left.

"So I get to choose whoever I want, no restrictions?" Aang asked.

"None." Aang let a smug expression slip onto his face as he gazed carefully. "I choose... you!" He pointed straight at Azula.

"Very well..." Azula ripped off her formal robes in a single swipe, revealing a form fitting battle tunic underneath, and shot a powerful blast of blue fire straight into the airbender's chest, knocking him several yards away and leaving him sprawling on his back. "Let me guess, you thought I was some dainty little princess that was pampered all her life. Well, I suppose the pampered part is true, but I'm also one of the most powerful firebenders you'll ever know." Aang barely pulled himself upright when a second bolt of fire blasted him onto his back again. He sprung up quicker and dodged Azula's next attacks, weaving and cartwheeling around the blue fire. "Typical airbender tactics. I was expecting The Avatar to have a little more advanced techniques." Aang leaped ten feet in the air to avoid a wave of fire from Azula's arms and padded his fall with bending. "Oh, where are my manners. You'll probably need this." A masked guard treaded cautiously towards the arena and tossed Aang's glider in his direction.

"Oh man how is he getting out of this..." Katara said from the spectator's stand.

"How are _we_ getting out of this?" Sokka retorted. Azula threw fireball after fireball at the hapless airbender, breathing as slowly as a snail and smiling maliciously while doing so.

"You can't just run forever, you'll have to strike back," she sneered. Aang rebounded from his defensive run and sprinted towards Azula with the wind literally at his back. The princess casually flicked her wrists and sent enormous jets of azure fire hurtling towards him in rapid succession. Aang maintained his momentum but was slightly slowed by his repeated dodging and jumping. He was forced into a screeching halt when a ring of fire shot dozens of feet in the air all around him. Aang forced himself to stay composed and shot the strongest jet of air as he could muster, diffusing the fire and clouding the entire arena in dust. Azula scarcely had time to react through the thick smoke before Aang leaped out of seemingly nowhere and pointed his staff at her throat with a smug look.

"Very well, you've won this round. You fight with all the ferocity and fire of a true firebender," Azula declared. She flew back up to the spectator's stands with jets of fire.

"Alright, I've done everything you've asked for. Now let my friends go!" Aang demanded.

"Mmm, no, I don't feel like it." Aang groaned. "But answer this one question and I will free your friends. What is the last earthbending Avatar's name?" Aang opened his mouth but came up blank. "I'm not exactly patient Avatar, I'm expecting your answer soon." She sauntered away, leaving Aang with his bound friends alone in the spectator's stand.

"Wow, talk about having talent for making me feel stupid..." Aang grumbled. He rubbed his head in contemplation but found no inspiration.

"Well... maybe you could meditate on it," Katara suggested.

"How? I can't even talk to Roku, the Avatar one lifetime before me. How am I supposed to contact whoever came before him?"

"Just sit down and to your fancy monk magic!" Sokka blurted. He closed his eyes and hummed. "You know like that."

"I guess it's worth a try." Aang sat down and assumed a usual cross legged stance. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. A large blur of scenes and faces melted through his mind in rapid succession. A tall woman in a green kimono and white facepaint faced off against a short bearded man with an army behind him. The picture shifted to a massive fissure erupting in the earth, sending the bearded man plummeting to his death. Aang's eyes bolted open. "Whoa..."

"Aang?" Katara said worriedly.

"I know her name," Aang declared. He rushed out of the arena and into a throne room, where Azula was reading a scroll. "Her name's Kyoshi, she lived for 230 years and made her home in Kyoshi Island."

"I'm impressed. You must have a very keen connection with your spiritual side Avatar Aang," Azula commented, standing up to face him. "Guards, bring me the Avatar's companions." Katara and Sokka were dragged out and made to bow before Azula. "Allow me to elaborate. Avatar Kyoshi was born in 312 BSC, that's short for Before Sozin's comet, and died in 182 BSC. She traveled the land at a time of great peace and prosperity in the world, but not before facing a grave threat to her home, a southern peninsula on the west coast of the Earth Kingdom."

"What? I thought she was born on Kyoshi Island," Sokka blurted.

"She was, only it was referred to as Kyoshi's peninsula. Before Chin the Conqueror arrived. Chin was an opportunist if anything, the 46th Earth King's rule was unpopular and he capitalized on that to conquer most of the Earth Kingdom continent with the exception of Kyoshi's peninsula. When Kyoshi confronted the man, he would not yield. So, she split her entire peninsula from the mainland, killing Chin in the inferno."

"Why are you giving us a lengthy history lesson on the last earthbending Avatar?" Aang demanded.

"Because, splitting an entire landmass into pieces and shifting said landmass hundreds of miles out to sea is not without its consequences. For centuries, seismic shifts beneath the very earth we inhabit have been steadily growing stronger every year after Kyoshi Island's creation, steadily elevating the power of all Earthbenders in the world by the year. At first it wasn't very strong or noticeable, but by 15 BSC, a select few earthbenders used their heightened awareness of the earth to invent metalbending." Aang, Sokka, and Katara all cringed at the mention of the art. "The fire sages have been prophesying for decades that the seismic shifts are reaching a breaking point, a global earthquake if you will. Avatar Aang, for nearly a century the Earth Kingdom of Ba Sing Se has been waging an imperial war against the rest of the world, if what the sages are true then you must defeat the Earth King soon, or else... even The Avatar may not be strong enough to turn the tides of this war." Aang was struck by the previously arrogant princess's desperate gaze as she looked straight into his eyes. He turned around to notice that the guards had untied Katara and Sokka.

"So... if all you really wanted this entire time was to ask Aang to help you and the rest of the Fire Nation defeat the Earth King, why'd you put him and us through all that garbage?" Sokka yelled.

"Well first off there's nothing quite as enjoyable as seeing that idiotic glare of yours," Azula smirked.

"Hey!"

"But I have my reasons. Avatar Aang, the world is a changed and dangerous place from the peaceful harmony you knew. It is full of traps and obstacles that cannot be met with force alone, and when you meet them, I hope you learn to think on your feet." She bowed down to the floor in reverence to Aang, completely taking him aback.

"Thank you," Aang replied. He stared at Azula's prone form. "Uh... you can er, stand up now." Azula slowly lifted herself back onto her feet with dignity and grace.

"You should resume your journey as soon as possible, time is of the essence."

"I will, but before I leave, I have a task for you." Azula raised her eyebrow quizzically.

* * *

Fireworks high enough to be seen for miles around scorched through the air in a dazzling display, crashing down in several unfortunate locations.

"No! My cabbages!"

**Author's Note: Hello fellow readers, I know this chapter feels a bit contrived and slightly OOC, but just bear with me, next chapter we meet the upgraded, evil ninja society that is the Kyoshi Warriors. People, please review so I can know if you all like or don't like the direction I'm taking this thing before I start getting to the really wacky stuff (no spoilers).**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Kyoshi Island**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Aang crashed onto a hard rock surface and gazed at the marching army in front of him. He cowered and rolled away as fast as he could only to find his path blocked by a very tall woman in white facepaint. The woman stomped her feet into the earth and let a brilliant white glow beam from her eyes before bending the earth, splitting it along the entire width of the landmass from one end of the ocean to the other and creating a massive reservoir of lava below.

Aang jolted awake in cold sweat, panting slightly.

"Aang? You okay?" Katara prodded him.

"Huh? Oh yea, it's just a bad dream." Katara gazed at him dubiously. "Okay, so maybe I've been having more nightmares."

"Again? You haven't gone a single night without those ever since you meditated in Chu Ling."

"I know... maybe it's Kyoshi's spirit trying to reach me. Maybe she wants me to talk to her."

"Aang, we've been over this. Even if Kyoshi did want to talk to you, how would you do it? She's been dead for nearly 300 years and you're not exactly a fully realized Avatar."

"Yea... right," Aang said hesitantly before slipping back into his sleeping bag. Katara simply sighed and went back to sleep next to him.

* * *

Aang silently saddled up Appa and climbed onto his head, raising the reins.

"So you were just going to try some stupid stunt anyways?!" an annoyed Katara yelled out. Aang cringed and dropped his reins.

"I didn't want you guys to get hurt," he said defensively.

"Wha? Who got hurt?" Sokka groaned from his sleeping bag.

"Look, the winter solstice is approaching and according to legend, it is the day when the boundary between the spirit world and the physical world thins to a blur. If I can get to the shrine of Kyoshi, maybe I could talk to her then."

"And where is that shrine?" Katara asked knowingly. Aang sighed.

"It's in the Earth Kingdom." He shrank away from Katara's piercing gaze.

"You're not going deep into Earth Kingdom territory Aang."

"At least... not without us," Sokka said, shambling towards his friends. Aang's shameful frown quickly turned into a smile.

* * *

Appa landed softly and silently on the forested beach just short of the treeline. Aang, Sokka, and Katara descended carefully from the furry beast and hiked towards the forest.

"Sorry boy, but we really have to make sure we go in undetected. You're a bit too big for that," Aang whispered in the bison's ear. Appa snorted in understanding and laid down softly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you some moon peaches on the way back." The trio slowly hiked through the trees towards a large mountain in the center of the island.

"So, where are we going Aang? You're kind of the one in charge of this thing," Sokka said.

"Kyoshi's shrine is located at the base of the island's central mountain. We have to get there before sundown if I want to talk to her."

"Okay. A short little hike up the mountain, how bad could that be?" The trio trudged through the forested trail for several minutes when Sokka raised a hand. "Wait, you hear something?" Aang and Katara stared at him blankly. Sokka glared up around the thickening forest. He had barely pulled out his boomerang when a flash of green caught all three of their attention.

"Okay... I definitely saw that," Aang muttered nervously.

"Keep an eye out, we're deep in Earth Kingdom territory." Aang nodded nervously, raising his staff in a battle stance. He turned to walk forward again but was tripped by an invisible wire. Six young women with white face paint and green tunics descended from the forest canopy. Sokka hurled his boomerang at the first girl he saw. The girl effortlessly dodged the attack and dashed towards him, punching him in the gut and on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. Katara attempted to use her waterskin against the remaining warriors, but they too easily weaved around her clumsy bending attacks and subdued her.

"What should we do with them Suki?" one of the girls asked, looking to the girl who had defeated Sokka.

"Take them to the army base at the base of the mountain. The General should figure out what to do with them," Suki replied. She hefted Sokka's unconscious body onto her shoulders. "I'll take care of him, you five retrieve The Avatar and the waterbender." The other Kyoshi Warriors gaped slightly at their leader. "He has a big honking arrow on his head, what did you think he was?" Her lackeys nodded in understanding and picked up the Aang and Katara.

* * *

"Impressive, but I would have expected nothing less of this island's 'elite' fighting force," Fong quipped snidely as the white faced warriors placed their prisoners on the ground before him.

"We've kept up our end of the deal, now get your soldiers off of our island," Suki growled. Fong smiled maliciously and waved her aside.

"Silly girl, did you really think that bending over for my demands would magically change my mind?" Fong chortled. He had his metalbender soldiers move to escort Suki and her warriors out of his base. "This island was and still is the domain of the Earth King, and I certainly don't plan on leaving it open to Fire Navy raids with only a band of non bending girls to defend it." He sauntered over to Aang, who was encased in steel. "Take him to the cell, I want a full speech drafted for my audience with the Earth King." The metal benders elevated Aang's prison, hoisting him up and dragging him away. "And as for you two..." Fong turned his attention to Sokka and Katara. "The coal mines are always in need of some helping hands. I'm sure two more indentured laborers won't be too much to handle."

"You'll never get away with this!" Suki yelled as she was forced out. Fong waved her off as he triumphantly marched back into his personal office.

* * *

The metalbenders removed Aang from his metal cocoon once they approached his cell and shoved him in. The raised their arms to bend the metal wall closed when a loud clang and scream caught them off guard. Aang used the momentary distraction to airbend the guards off their feet and bolt down the hall. He halted in his tracks when a four man squad of metalbenders sprang up from the floor, covering his escape. Aang quickly dodged their attacks and blasted them against the hard steel walls, knocking them unconscious. Aang scrambled past the unconscious guards only to stumble into a chamber filled with a small army.

"Uh... hi. Just wanted to know... where the bathroom was! So maybe if you could just show me where..." Aang yelped as he narrowly missed a metal fist flying towards his face. The other soldiers raised their arms to shoot when one of the soldiers was suddenly struck in the head by a bead sized fireball. The army gazed down at their fallen comrade in confusion. A second soldier fell to the ground with a charred helmet. The soldiers twirled around, only to be faced with a shadowy apparition wielding dark bladed dao swords. The figure deftly avoided the soldier's bending and slammed his head with the hilt of his sword, leaving a large burn mark on the now unconscious soldier's helmet. The swordsman weaved and slashed the hailstorm of metal with all the grace and power of a tiger and he used a combination of fire and swords to disable his foes. Aang gaped at the masked man as he sheathed his swords and motioned for him to follow.

"Uh... thanks. You have a name?" he muttered timidly. The man turned to face him but said nothing. Aang stared curiously at his blue demon mask but opted to accept the stranger's help. A high pitched scream jolted him back to his senses. "Katara!" Aang sprinted towards the scream's source. The masked swordsman and firebender had little difficulty keeping pace with the airbender.

Katara winced as she clenched her side. She forced herself back into a run as the sound of clambering metal boots echoed in the halls.

"Wait! But what about my boomerang?!"

"We can get another one when we're out of here!" Katara scolded her brother as they ran. The siblings barely made it when they were cornered by a squad of metalbenders.

"End of the line for you ki..." the guards were blasted against the wall by a gust of air.

"Aang!" Katara cried. She ran over to hug him. "How'd you get out?"

"Long story," he murmured. "I had a little help from..." Aang whirled around but found no one. "masky..." he whispered under his breath.

"Well however we got out I'm not waiting around for these guards," Sokka said. The alarms began blaring. "The universe just loves to hate me doesn't it?" He joined Aang and Katara and jumped into a sprint, allowing the master airbender to blast aside any interfering guards until they had made it to the courtyard. "What now?!"

"Hang on!" Aang grabbed Katara's hand with his right and Sokka's with his left and elevated them all on an air column, flying over the wall and landing gently on the other side. He slammed an air burst onto the dusty ground, obscuring him and his friends from view.

* * *

"I want the speech ready as soon as possible. The Earth King will have to give me the..." Fong paused as he felt a tremor beneath his feet. He sprinted down to The Avatar's cell only to see two guards sprawled on the ground and Aang nowhere in sight. He scowled and ran down the hall to see more disabled guards.

"Uh, sir should I hold off on that speech?" his assistant hollered. Fong ran and bent into the wall, sounding the alarm. A squad of guards emerged and reported to their General.

"Get the Kyoshi Warriors in here now. I want a full head count! You ten, come with me." The soldiers nodded and separated accordingly. Fong bent himself out of the building complex. and saw the young Avatar fly out of the prison complex.

"Sir, all the Kyoshi Warriors have been brought in, none of them had anything to do with the break out."

"Then hunt down the fool who did!" The guard nodded and ran out. "And you... follow The Avatar's trail." An austere looking man in a green robe and wide brimmed straw hat bowed slightly before bending and vanishing into the metal floor. Fong gasped slightly as a frightened scream echoed from the courtyard. He quirked an eyebrow at the noise and motioned his guards to follow. "Looks like our little badgermole is about to pop his head." He raised his arms and clenched his metal gloves, bending a bundle of razor sharp claws out of his gauntlets. A heavy object dropped from above, narrowly avoiding the General. Fong inspected the object and recoiled at the sight of a half melted helmet on an unconscious guard. "Lieutenant... keep an eye out." He turned around but found no company. "Lieutenant?" A searing hot hand gripped his neck and elevated his whole body upward. A blue demon mask seemingly smiled in the shocked earthbender's face before punching his temple, knocking him out cold.

* * *

"I think we lost them," Sokka panted.

"I'm sorry guys," Aang muttered. "I knew we shouldn't have come here. Let's just hurry and find Appa and get out of here."

"Aang, look!" Katara hollered. She pointed to a massive statue of Kyoshi. "What about your all important talk with Kyoshi?" Aang turned around and made eye contact with the statue. He stared vacantly for several seconds and fell into a cross legged sitting position with glowing eyes.

"Uh... Aang? What happened?" Sokka blurted.

"Shh, it's alright. He's just crossing into the spirit world. He should be fine as long as we keep his body in place."

Aang craned his neck up to make eye contact with his much taller past life. He brought his hands together and bowed in respect.

"Hello Aang, I have been waiting for you." Kyoshi greeted him.

"Kyoshi, I got your message. I need to know what's so important."

"It all began 370 years ago, when I confronted a power hungry man named Chin the Conqueror. Much like the Earth King today, he too waged war on the world and threatened to tip it out of balance. In order to end his threat once and for all, I confronted him on my home peninsula and sent him plunging to his death." Aang winced. "And in the process I severed my homeland from the rest of the continent, creating this very island."

"Great, but how does that have anything to do with me today?"

"Listen carefully Aang. The seismic disturbances caused by my actions centuries ago have not faded as I had hoped at the time. The frequency and intensity of earthquakes all over the world have gone up, fueling the earthbenders with power they would not know otherwise. By the end of the fall next year, I fear that all of these tremors will collide at the world's center."

"What will that do?"

"Make all earth and metalbenders throughout the world more powerful than you could even imagine. If you do not master the elements and defeat the Earth King by the end of the fall, even The Avatar will not be able to restore balance to the world."

"I hope he's having fun in there because I'm bored," Sokka grumbled. He and Katara were suddenly encased in rock as a robed earthbender with a conical straw hat walked to them calmly.

"Still bored?" Katara grumbled. The lone earthbender was soon joined by a squad of metalbender soldiers and a very disgruntled General Fong. He marched to Aang's still form and bound him in steel.

"Take him away. He won't be getting away this time," he ordered.

Aang, a great danger awaits you back in the physical world. I can aid you, but only if you are ready.

"I'm ready," Aang declared, his eyes and tattoos glowing pure white

Fong fell backwards as Aang blasted a wave of air at him while freeing himself of his metal prison.

"Attack!" Fong yelled. Earth and metal flew at the young Avatar from all directions, kicking up a large dust cloud.

"Aang! No!" Katara yelled. The dust abruptly cleared and the white face of Avatar Kyoshi bent all of the soldiers' attacks away with ease. She swung her hand passively, crumbling the Water Siblings' earthen prisons.

"Avatar Kyoshi..." Kyoshi extended her arms, sending razor sharp shrapnel flying at everyone but Sokka and Katara. She clenched her right hand into a fist and swung it downward, destroying the shrine in a landslide.

"She's going to destroy the shrine! We have to get out of here!" Sokka yelled.

"Not without Aang!" Kyoshi lifted her arms as high as they could go and slammed them back to her sides as fast as she could, triggering a massive landslide. She assumed a passive stance and exhaled slowly before her form warped back into that of Aang, who toppled over. "Aang!" Katara hurriedly picked the boy up and sprinted away from the approaching landslide with her brother in tow.

"We'll never make it!" Sokka yelled.

"Yes we will," Katara beamed as she looked up. Appa's massive shadow engulfed the siblings as he landed gently in front of them. Katara hefted Aang onto the saddle before helping her brother up and climbing onto his head. "Yip Yip!"

* * *

Fong scowled as he had Suki and her warriors brought to their knees.

"No Avatar, no Blue Spirit. The only thing that I seem to have are a band of traitors!" he yelled.

"First of all, you had all of us escorted out of the base by the time the Blue Spirit took The Avatar," Suki growled. "Second of all, we are Warriors of Kyoshi, our loyalty belongs to this island first."

"Well, if you have any desire left to keep this island from being torn and sunk into the ocean, you will take your warriors and hunt down the Blue Spirit and bring him to me. I'll take care of the Avatar." Suki glared menacingly at the bearded earthbender but bowed in defeat.

"As you wish."

**Author's note: Well there you have it. My first real deviation from canonical episode structure. How'd you like the Kyoshi Warriors 2.0? Good? Bad? You can say it all in that nifty little review box down at the bottom. What about my whole 'seismic reverberations' plot device? Good? Too unrealistic? Leave it all at the bottom box. Also feel free to take a guess as to who the Blue Spirit is but I'm pretty sure you guys all know who he is. We'll see him again, though he probably won't be taking that mask off anytime soon. As always thank you for taking your time to read this and have a nice day.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Waterbending Scroll

Disclaimer: Come on, you should know already.

**Also... PLEASE leave a REVIEW. I really don't want to come off as a prick but your feedback gives me the info I need to keep my story from derailing too much. I have a wacked out mind and need your guidance to stay in the realm of sanity.**

Aang paced back and forth in Appa's saddle bag with a worried expression glazed on his face.

"Aang stop pacing around, you might fall off the saddle!" Katara called out worriedly.

"Yea, and we really can't afford to turn around and get you if you do," Sokka interjected. He yelped as his sister gave him a sharp glare.

"I know I know," Aang muttered. "It's just that all this talk of mastering all four elements in less than a year's time is just... gah!" Katara gazed sympathetically at the young boy and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Well, you do need to master waterbending. I could show you a couple moves I've developed over the years," she said.

"Really?" Aang beamed.

"You're The Avatar, it would be an honor."

Appa landed softly next to the riverbank and sprawled out in weariness while his riders dismounted. Aang followed Katara to the water while Sokka lounged lazily on Appa's hide.

"Alright my young pupil..." Katara began endearingly. "The first thing you need to do when waterbending is to feel the flow of water. Push and pull, back and forth. We'll start with a simple wave from. Now this took me a little while to develop." Katara furrowed her eyes in concentration and waved her arms, creating small but noticeable waves in the river.

"You mean like this?" Aang cried out. The boy was waving his arms rhythmically with the water, easily dwarfing Katara's waves.

"Yea..." Katara grumbled. "Let's move on now. The next thing I will show you is a bit more tricky. It actually took me a year or so to get right. You pull a small orb of water out and..." Katara pushed her arm out, slowly drawing an orb of water out.

"Hey I'm doing it!" Aang drew his arms out and effortlessly repeated her motion in half the time, spinning it around in an elaborate loop before gently sliding it back into the river. Katara scowled in irritation and dropped her own orb. "What do you got next?"

"Well... this is probably the hardest move I've ever tried. It took me several years to get it and I still don't have it all the way..." Katara raised her arms and summoned a flimsy column of water and moved it around like a wave.

"Ooh, I get it!" Aang raised his hands imitating Katara and lifted a far more robust column of water and launched it toward Sokka and Appa.

"Aaaaanng?!" Sokka cried. The wave smashed into the bison and Sokka, washing away most of the supplies while leaving Sokka disgruntled.

"Wow! Did you see the size of that thing?!" Aang yelled in excitement.

"Alright that's enough waterbending for you," Katara growled.

"I'll say! You bent all our supplies down the river!" Sokka added.

"Oops. Looks like we'll have to find a market."

* * *

"Well that's just silly. Not a single merchant in this entire port had a White Lotus piece..." Bumi grumbled.

"Ugh, so not only was this a complete and total waste of time for me, it was totally worthless to you as well!" Toph roared.

"Young one, you've gotta stop seeing the world the way they want to see and open up to the possibilities."

"What possibilities?!"

"The world's greatest bargain shop!" Toph's hand met her forehead as Bumi cackled madly, ordering Toph's earthbenders aboard her ship with mountains of miscellaneous trinkets.

"A mound of jennamite. Why am I not surprised..."

"The Water Tribe girl got away with the boy..." a nearby voiced growled out. Toph immediately perked up and approached the voice's source.

"Excuse me, but did this boy have an arrow on his head?"

* * *

Katara grumbled in frustration as she studied the scroll intensely. She pulled an orb of water out of the river and lengthened it into a water whip. She bent it forward against a tree branch only to have it harmlessly dissipate. She growled and yelled at herself for several seconds before being abruptly encased in an earthen prison.

"Alright! We got the girl!" A raspy voice cried out. Katara's eyes widened as the pirate captain emerged from the forest to meet her. He extended a hand to the scroll on the floor when it was swallowed up by the earth.

"Ah ah ah. Not so captain," a girl's voice cried out. Toph stepped out from behind Katara and bent the scroll into her hand. "This isn't The Avatar. It's just his water tribe companion. We're staying on the search until we find him."

"Listen here toots, I came here for my scroll and you have it. Now hand it over."

"Hmm, this must be a pretty valuable scroll," Toph mused. She unrolled the scroll and held it as if to tear it. "Too bad I never find much value in reading material." The pirates gasped in shock. "But you obviously do."

"We'll keep looking."

"Good." Toph approached Katara and tightened her earthen prison. "Look here Sugar Queen, I don't want to hurt you and I don't really have the patience to imprison you forever. Just tell me where your little boyfriend is and we all leave happy."

"I'll never tell you where Aang is!" Katara growled. Toph blew up her bangs and snatched Katara's betrothal necklace.

"Fine, be that way. But since you're clearly not willing to give me The Avatar I'll just make do with this. I wonder how much the pirates will pay for this."

"No!" Toph smirked in satisfaction at Katara's outburst and tossed the necklace up and down.

"You're right. I shouldn't. It has a beautiful carve. I don't consider myself a girly girl myself but the metalwork on this is nice." Toph abruptly turned away and saw a band of pirates approach her with Aang and Sokka in nets. Toph raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second... where's The Avatar's behemoth of a pet? He's not..." The earthbender was interrupted by a deep rumbling roar. Before she could react, Appa descended from the air and blew Toph flat onto her back, completely bypassing her 'sight'. The pirates threw various projectiles and smoke bombs at the beast to no avail. "What is wrong with you idiots? Take him out!" Toph's earthbending soldiers nodded in comparison and shot a combination of boulders and metal spikes at the bison, most of which Appa handily dodged. Unbeknownst to the pirates and earthbenders, Sokka slowly but steadily sawed himself and Aang out of their nets and ran to Katara.

"Katara! Hold on while I try to bend you out," Aang cried. He backed away several feet and slammed a powerful blade of air into Katara's earthen prison, cracking it slightly and sending her hair flying wildly.

"Thanks..." Katara deadpanned. Aang grunted and walked back when a far more powerful gust of wind sent Katara and the dusty remains of her prison flying several feet.

"Appa!" The sky bison landed and shook himself to take off the dust on his fur, creating a mini gale wind in the process. Aang and his companions quickly boarded the bison and took off. Appa barely got a hundred feet in the air when a large boulder slammed into his side, sending him careening to the ground. Aang, Sokka and Katara hoisted themselves upright only to be confronted by Toph, earth sliding towards them. Appa groaned in pain and struggled to stand as Toph positioned herself in front of the airbender and his friends. Katara reached for her waterskin and made a rudimentary waterskin, throwing it at Toph with uncanny expertise. Toph easily blocked it with an earth shield.

"Impressive, for a novice," Toph sent a volley of boulders at her combatants, which Aang narrowly dodged while Katara and Sokka tripped backwards to avoid. Aang counterattacked with a series of wind blades but Toph easily blocked his attacks and sent a large set of spikes flying up at him from below his feet. Aang strained to dodge and deflect each blow while Sokka tossed his boomerang at Toph. The earthbender raised her arm and stopped the metal projectile dead in the air and shot it straight back at its thrower, knocking him off his feet. Katara gathered the puddles of water around her and shot them at the attacking earthbender. Toph handily rode a rising earth column above the attack and threw herself back to the ground, sending a powerful shockwave and knocking all three of her combatants down and out. The pirates and earthbenders eventually parted through the forest and surrounded their spoils.

"Well, now that you have your Avatar, we will have..." The pirate was interrupted by a small streak of fire to the head. His comrades raised their swords in anticipation but were struck down by an explosion at their feet. Toph raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip on Aang, who was securely on her shoulders. A second series of explosions knocked most of Toph's soldiers off their feet. Toph bent a boulder out of the ground and chucked it into a nearby tree, narrowly avoiding a shadowed figure in a blue mask wielding dao swords.

"Get rid of him," Toph ordered before earth surfing away with Aang. Four of Toph's earthbending guards assumed defensive positions and sharpened the metal claws on their suits with their bending. They shot forward but the Blue Spirit was faster. He weaved under rock and metal slashed through their armor with a sickening sizzle, leaving traces of melted metal dripping from the sword marks. The masked swordsman toppled the last of the earthbending guards and sheathed his blades right as Katara and Sokka regained consciousness.

"Aang!" Katara yelled out. She instinctively ran for Toph's trail but Sokka stopped her by the shoulders.

"The earthbending girl is long gone," The masked man said in a low, raspy voice. "She'll be sailing back for the bay as we speak. If you can get to the port before her you can intercept her." Appa growled angrily and shook himself before getting on his feet. "Appa! You're okay!" Katara ran to her furry friend. The Blue Spirit began to trudge away. "Wait, you should come with us. She's too powerful for me and Sokka to handle alone... please?" The Blue Spirit paused briefly but nodded in agreement and hopped on Appa.

* * *

Toph dumped Aang into a metallic cage and ordered her men to sail her riverboat back to shore. The men instead gaped in shock at the massive bison floating above them. The mask of the Blue Spirit loomed in their faces shortly before a boiling hot fist slammed into their bodies, rendering them paralyzed and searing their chi flow shut. Toph immediately focused on the masked man the second his feet touched the ship's metal floor. She sharpened her steel gauntlets into claws and struck at her combatant. The Blue Spirit handily parried her blows with his own swords and retaliated. The two exchanged several blows while Katara and Sokka snuck towards Aang.

"Aang! Buddy, you awake?" Sokka whispered. He pulled out a thin metal pin and dug it clumsily into the lock.

"Ugh... what happened?" the airbender groaned.

"Good, you got beat up by that earthbender girl and now we're breaking you out of here."

"Wait, how's that a good thing?" Sokka paused.

"Just stay quiet while I pick this lock..." Sokka jammed the pin further into the lock until Aang's cage doors flew open. "Hmm, looks like dad's kit would come in handy one day."

The Blue Spirit shot a blade of white flame from his sword, pushing Toph back as she strained to dissipate the concentrated blast. Toph shot a volley of steel spikes at the masked man's face, which he handily shot away with his swords. Toph took the momentary distraction to prop herself forward and ram her steel fist into her combatant's gut, eliciting a groan of pain. She locked onto the man's swords with her armguards and flung them away. The Blue Spirit narrowly avoided a secondary attack and slammed a flaming fist into her left side, searing her right chi path shut. Toph responded with a ripple of metal under the man's feet, sending him toppling back before pinning him down with metallic cuffs around his wrists and ankles.

"You'll make a fine collection to my bounties when I return to the Earth King," Toph growled, sharpening her steel claws. She was interrupted by a powerful air blast, sending her toppling to the bottom deck and removing the Blue Spirit's shackles. Aang rushed up and helped his rescuer onto his bison. The Blue Spirit briefly reached out for his scattered swords.

"Don't worry buddy I got ya covered," Sokka quipped as he picked up the blades. The masked firebender acquiesced and allowed Aang to gently hoist him onto Appa's saddle and take off. He grabbed the blades from Sokka's hands and gingerly slid them back into their scabbard before collapsing from pain. "Yeah, I'm pretty touchy about my boomerang too."

* * *

"We might not see you again, at least tell me your name," Katara pleaded. The Blue Spirit secured his sword scabbards and jumped off Appa.

"We will meet again, trust me on that." The Spirit dashed into the woods and vanished from view.

"You heard him, you'll get a chance to shag him later," Sokka teased.

"Sokka!" Katara snapped.

"What? You even had that doey eyed expression."

"I'll have you know on my mother's..." Katara's eyes widened. "My necklace... my mother's necklace!"

* * *

"It's been over six hours, why am I still unable to bend with my right arm?!" Toph snarled. She winced slightly as a healer looked over her chest, which had been stripped of all clothing except a set of thin underwraps.

"Your chi paths have been seared shut by extreme heat. Whoever that chi blocker was, he was also a firebender, a very skilled one at that to be able to control his fire below visibility while generating this much heat," a healer explained. "Not to worry though, the scar tissue should fade within an hour once I apply this salve." The healer promptly dismissed herself from Toph's quarters.

"So, I hear your little night expedition didn't exactly go so well," a goofy old voice cried out.

"Not now Master Bumi!" Toph snarled.

"Alright, whatever you wish." Toph sighed deeply and pulled out a Water Tribe betrothal necklace and smirked.

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes Captain Toph?" a gruff man replied.

"Set a course for the Western Earth Kingdom, I have someone who could make better use of this than me."

**Author's note: Obviously there are some major revisions to the canon namesake of this chapter, and that's the point, it's an AU after all, I'm not getting paid to just make a novelization of the series (I'm not paid at all, not that I mind...). Shout out to Daveshan's What SHOULD Have Happened in AtLA for reminding me that in fact Appa is a freakin 10 ton airbending bison that for some reason inexplicably disappears whenever crap hits the fan. In canon I could have maybe dismissed it as him being terrified of fire and with firebenders making up the antagonists... yea. However, firebenders are not the antagonists here, which if you read Dave's massive epic will actually seem surprisingly plausible (really long story, read it if you want to know). As such, Appa will be airbending the crap out of people a lot more often unless he's specifically dealt with or distracted. Also, I have changed the rating to T because... people will die okay? That's just the reality of my story. Hopefully no major characters though, but you never know.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Jet and the Great Divide

Disclaimer: yada yada

**Author's notes: so this is another amalgation of two episodes in one. No, Jet is still the same xenophobic extremist he is in canon, I think that's just too essential a character trait to lose to an AU. Also a quick question: which pairing should I do for Aang? I was originally planning on sticking with canon but the more I diverge the more I realize it'd be foolish to 'stay the course' when the course has already been crumpled up and thrown in the trash.**

**So what is it? Kataang or Taang? Leave me your vote in the review section. On that note, feel free to tell me anything else you found noteworthy that I need to know. Now on to the show! Also, for the readership's enjoyment I have decided to shift my update days to Saturday mornings. I promise I am not getting lazy on you all!**

* * *

Momo thrashed violently against his cage as Aang climbed onto the tree and pried the trap open. He screeched irritably as he snagged his lychee nuts and scampered away.

"Earth Kingdom traps... And where there are traps the soldiers can't be far behind," Sokka murmured.

"You're right, we should get out of here. I'll saddle up Appa..."

"No," Sokka interrupted Aang. "No matter where we go or what measures we take, earthbenders constantly find us. Wanna know why? It's Appa, he's not exactly subtle when he's flying." Appa groaned in protest. "My instincts say we need to walk."

"Hmm, well I guess it's worth a shot, I mean how bad could just walking be?"

* * *

"Walking is awful, how does anyone get anywhere without a flying bison?" Aang grumbled.

"I don't know, ask Sokka's instincts," Katara quipped.

"Good idea. Hey, Sokka's instincts, can you tell us why..."

"Okay I get it!" Sokka exclaimed. "Look, the way I see it, staying low especially in this forest is the best chance we have of avoiding..." Sokka fell silent as the trio accidentally stumbled into a massive Earth Kingdom camp. Before any of them could react a squad of earthbenders encased Appa in a thick earth prison and raised a massive barrier of rock behind them, cutting off their escape. "Back off... and we won't hurt you!"

"Hurt us?" one of the soldiers chortled in amusement.

"Sokka what are you doing?" Aang whispered.

"Bluffing..." he murmured. The soldiers closed in around the gang and bent large boulders out of the ground. The first soldier stepped forward to move but was quickly struck down by a quick flying dart.

"Wow, nice work Sokka," Aang murmured.

"That... wasn't me."

"Look!" Katara yelled. On the tree tops above, a self confident looking boy with rough, brown hair wielding two strange looking swords swung down to meet the earthbenders. He deftly dodged the benders' haphazard rock attacks and tripped them with his hook swords. A second squad of soldiers emerged from the camp's tents to attack the boy but were disrupted by a miscellaneous gang of children of varying ages. The combined gang quickly overwhelmed the camp and incapacitated the earthbenders.

"Wow... thanks for the help," Aang said.

"No problem. Name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters," the boy explained. He introduced his gang to The Avatar and his companions. "You know, if you're trying to hide from the Earth Kingdom, I can take you to our hideout."

"No time, we have to keep moving," Sokka interrupted.

"Aw come on Sokka, it can't be that bad. Just ignore him, my brother gets a little... focused at times," Katara explained, staring eagerly at Jet.

"Nah it's cool. Now follow me."

* * *

"Jet wait! I think that's just a harmless old man," Sokka hissed. Jet ignored his pleas and immediately lunged towards the hobbling man.

"What are you doing in our woods?" Jet snarled.

"Please, I'm just a traveler. I don't..." the old man moaned.

"And what about all the other Earth Kingdom spies who were 'just travelers'? Should we just ignore you unlike all the rest?" Jet's lackeys swarmed his victim and rifled through all of his pockets.

"We got his stuff!" Smellerbee shouted. Jet nodded in satisfaction and tossed the old man aside before vanishing into the woods, followed begrudgingly by Sokka.

* * *

"He robbed and harassed a harmless old man Katara, I saw him with my own eyes!"

"Sokka, I don't think you're telling the whole story. I want to hear Jet's side of the story." Sokka grumbled in reluctant agreement before following his sister and the Avatar to Jet's quarters. Jet stood up and calmly explained a fabricated tale of an assassin and pulled out a large dagger filled with several vials of poison. "I knew there was more to the story..."

"Sokka didn't tell you about the knife?" Jet asked innocently.

"No, he conveniently left that part out," Katara growled, eliciting a growl of frustration from Sokka, who stormed out of the room.

"Hey, I was actually about to call you over for a mission anyways, I could kind of use your waterbending," Jet added, unphased.

"Oh... what is it?" Katara asked, slightly flustered.

"There's a reservoir not too far from here that could help us. See, Earth Kingdom soldiers are going to be using explosive tipped metal shells to try and set the whole forest on fire to try and get to us. If we could fill up the reservoir, we could stop them, but I'm not sure at this rate that will happen without some waterbending."

"I'll do it," Katara declared.

* * *

"Jet you monster! I trusted you!" Katara roared indignantly as she froze the boy to the tree.

"Katara please, think about all the good we did. We freed this valley from Ba Sing Se's iron government for good. This valley is safe."

"It will be safe... without you!" Katara whirled around to see Sokka on Appa, flying triumphantly towards the tree. "I managed to get everyone out of the town just in time. At first the local garrisons wouldn't trust me, but one man vouched for me, the old man you attacked and robbed. We managed to evacuate the town, just before you blew the dam."

"Sokka you traitor! How could you actively conspire with those dirtbending scum?!" Jet snarled.

"You're the traitor Jet, and this valley will be better off without you. Come on guys."

"Katara please!" Katara hatefully stomped away from Jet's ice prison and hopped onto Appa.

Jet strained and breathed onto the slowly melting ice for nearly half an hour when a set of earthen spikes shattered the ice and replaced it with an earthen prison.

"I hear you've had recent contact with The Avatar, is that true?" Toph murmured, her milky eyes glazed straight into Jet's face.

"So what if I was? I'm not giving him away to dirtbenders like you!"

"Really? Fair enough, men bring me the children. I think the little one is called Smellerbee." Jet's eyes widened in fear as a squad of earthbenders began dragging his freedom fighters, all bound and gagged, onto the ground in front of him. Toph's smirk widened as she felt his heart race. "Now, where did you say The Avatar was?"

* * *

"Well, there it is, The Great Divide. Let's take a look down there!" Aang landed the bison on the edge of the canyon cliff and marveled at the gaping chasm.

"Wow, what a view," Katara murmured.

"Alright, now that we've had a good look at the canyon, let's keep flying. Jet may be gone but that doesn't mean a squad of earthbenders aren't waiting for us around the bend," Sokka muttered.

"Eh good point, I mean it's not like we're going to walk through that whole thing," Aang said. The trio hopped onto Appa and cruised leisurely over the massive expanse of the canyon.

"Hey, Aang, what's that flying cone over there?" Katara asked.

"Uh... that's not a cone, it's an Earth Kingdom artillery shell!" Sokka yelled. Aang reflexively swung an air blade at the approaching projectile but was knocked back by as the shell exploded. Appa groaned in discomfort as the blastwave slammed into his side, sending him and his passengers hurtling towards the canyon floor. Appa, along with Aang, created a last minute air cushion to soften the fall as they slammed into the ground. "The universe just loves to prove me right everytime I say something bad doesn't it?"

"Calm down Sokka, this canyon's huge, for all we know they could have mistook us for Fire Nation dragon riders."

"Oh sure, cause big old furry Appa here looks a lot like a scaly, fire breathing reptile." Appa groaned in protest.

"Don't worry buddy, he didn't mean to call you fat," Aang reassured. A rumble from the rock wall around him jolted him into a defensive bending position.

"Not so fast Avatar!" General Fong, alongside a several dozen steel clad metalbenders, erupted from the walls around him.

"Still think we got mistook for a dragon Katara?" Sokka whispered nervously at his sister. Aang tightened his grip on his glider. He arched back in preparation when a second rock wall tore open. Toph, in full steel armor, slid in between Aang and Fong and assumed a bending stance.

"Back off Fong, he's mine!" she growled. She kept an arm extended back towards Aang while maintaining her blind glare on Fong.

"Hah, like I'm letting you take my rightful glory," Fong glowered. He raised a boulder towards Aang and hurdled it towards him, alongside his metalbenders who shot a volley of metal bullets from their wrists towards the hapless airbender. Toph stepped forward and deflected the rock with her fists while raising a wall to stop the bullets. She clenched her fist and sent the iron balls flying back at their shooters, knocking several of them down. Aang took the opportunity to fly over Toph and swipe the remaining earthbenders except Fong off their feet.

"Don't think I'm not taking you down yet Avatar, I'm only aiding you against a common foe," Toph growled. Aang remained generally unresponsive to Toph's threat as he kept his back turned to her, dodging and airbending against increasing metalbending reinforcements. Toph remained on her toes, earthbending an entire squad of soldiers into a wall and knocking them out to protect Aang. Between the two of them, the benders defeated all of Fong's underlings and marched towards him side by side, with Katara and Sokka poised behind them.

"So, you resort to full blown treachery to achieve your ends?" Fong spat. "Pathetic, your father would be ashamed of you. At the very least he had a loyalty to his Kingdom." Toph remained fixated on Fong as she encased him in rocks.

"Don't let me find you in my way again or I will kill you," she growled before sending an earthwave to her left. Aang narrowly dodged the attack and replied with an airblast of his own. Toph easily blocked the attack and sent a volley of metal bullets all around her, narrowly missing Aang and his friends while slamming into Fong's earth prison.

"Get out of here! I'll follow you on my glider!" Aang yelled to her friends.

"Aang we are not leaving..." Katara was interrupted as Sokka tackled her to avoid a second volley. The siblings reluctantly boarded Appa and flew away from the scene. Aang turned her attention back to the teenage earthbender and jumped high into the air to avoid an earth wave. Toph gritted her teeth in frustration and balled her fists in preparation when a skittering noise threw her aim off, sending a rock several feet to Aang's right. Aang took Toph's momentary distraction and shot a powerful airwave at her, sending her flying across the canyon floor. Toph's limp body was intercepted mid-flight by a Canyon skitterer. Aang froze in shock as his former foe swung helplessly in the predator's jaws while it attempted to chew through her thick, steel armor. Against his better judgment, the airbender created an airscooter and flew after the creature, pummeling it with air while trying to save the blind girl. The skitterer dropped its tough shelled quarry and turned its attention to the offending airbender and charged. Aang quickly flew over its head and sent a column of air underneath it, sending it flying hundreds of feet into the air and smashing it into a nearby canyon wall. Aang warily approached the unconscious earthbender and jabbed her with his glider.

* * *

"You know what the worst part is? Knowing that all my friends are gone. If we'd been born in a slightly different universe, you think we could have been friends?" Aang asked wistfully. He gazed at Toph's surprisingly smooth silky face and leaned closer. "What's a girl like you doing out here in the middle of a war zone?" he asked 's eyes shot open and her face assumed an indignant scowl. She shot an earth column at Aang, but he was already flying away on his glider, out of her reach. Toph huffed in frustration and began earth surfing back to her ship.


End file.
